Traveling to Ushuaia

Ushuaia is by far the most common starting point for travel to the Antarctic Peninsula. Ushuaia is the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego, a very large island at the south end of South America. It's a 3.5 hour jet flight from Buenos Aires. It's technically possible to drive there, with a ferry ride across the Straits of Magellan, but it would be a very long drive.

Ushusia is at the southern edge of Tierra del Fuego, fronting on the Beagle Channel. It's backed by mountains, and bordered on the west by Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Your options for flying to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires are Aerolineas Argentinas or its subsidiaries. Think a low-rent Southwest Airlines, but less concerned about details like schedules. Officially, the maximum weight for baggage is 15 kilos, about 33 pounds. Excess weight is about $4/kilo. In my case, with a significantly overweight bag, I was never asked.

In my experience, at the Buenos Aires end, Aerolineas leaves when it gets around to it, lands at whatever Buenos Aires airport appeals, and cancels flights on a whim. Plan accordingly. It's not like you have a lot of choices.

In Ushuaia itself, the taxi service is inexpensive, reliable and friendly.

Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Visit the National Park if you possibly can. If you are a birder, I offer an unqualified endorsement of Marcello at Magellanic Nature Tours. Knowledgeable, friendly, decent English and familiar with the entire natural history of the area.

Home	Maps	Journal	Species	Site Map
All content © 2010-2011 Jim and Nancy DeWitt / Frozen Feather Images